I'm a sober atheist. Not sure how long, though, I never went to meetings. I knew I wanted to stop/had to stop and I did, thankfully with the support of my wife and girls.

If a 12 step program helps, then go.

I don't associate the term "higher power" with god. If you're in a group that references higher power without any further clarification, feel free to associate whatever you want with the term. That group is a power higher than you. With that group, you are more than one drunk trying to be sober today, you are a room full of alcoholics not drinking together because individually you might not have the wherewithal.

To steal a phrase from a popular youtube (or some pop culture) video, "It gets better"